Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai

Mumbai, May 21: In a sharp rebuttal to NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar’s criticism, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said Pawar should lead by example and demand the resignation of union home minister Amit Shah for the recent security lapse in Pahalgam, and that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly compromising the country’s sovereignty by accepting intervention from US President Donald Trump in military matters against Pakistan.

The remarks came after Pawar objected to Raut’s call for opposition parties to boycott the Centre’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ initiative, under which MP delegations are being sent abroad. Raut had criticised the government for not consulting party leaders before finalising the delegations.

“Why is Pawar slamming us?” questioned Raut. “He should instead set an example by holding the Centre accountable. There was a major security failure in Pahalgam, and our PM accepted foreign intervention in military matters that’s a serious compromise on national sovereignty.”

On Tuesday, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray extended support to the initiative. Notably, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi is among the delegates selected by the Centre.

Raut, however, remained critical. “The government should have taken party chiefs into confidence before selecting MPs. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiran Rijiju called our party chief Uddhav Thackeray only on Monday. Why wasn’t this done earlier? Even TMC chief Mamata Banerjee has replaced her party’s representative,” he said.

He also questioned the relevance of the countries being visited under the Operation Sindoor mission. “The Centre should have prioritised sending delegations to neighbouring countries like China, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, or even to nations like Turkey, to counter Pakistan’s narrative. Instead, it seems like a tourism initiative more than a diplomatic one,” Raut added.

The verbal sparring highlights the growing unease within the opposition bloc over the Centre's foreign outreach strategy involving MPs across party lines.